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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23377525">Eating For Three</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzard_Fire/pseuds/Blizzard_Fire'>Blizzard_Fire</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bruce Week 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Venom (Movie 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bruce &amp; Hulk Interaction, Bruce Banner Needs a Hug, Bruce Banner has the Venom Symbiote, Bruce Banner-centric, Gen, Humor, Hungry Venom Symbiote (Marvel), Kinda crack-y, Sick Bruce Banner, Vomiting, aka Bruce's Worst Day Ever</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:09:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,777</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23377525</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzard_Fire/pseuds/Blizzard_Fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><strong>You cannot get rid of me, Bruce. I am inside your head.</strong><br/>'Well, my head's already over-occupied, thanks.'<br/><strong>You're smart. I like you.</strong><br/><em>HULK DON'T LIKE YOU</em><br/><strong>Who's this other guy? Creepy voices in people's heads are <em>my</em> thing.</strong></p><p>Venom is separated from Eddie, and must quickly find a new host.<br/>The good news: he finds one.<br/>The bad news: it's Bruce Banner.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bruce Banner &amp; Hulk, Bruce Banner &amp; Venom Symbiote, Hulk &amp; Venom Symbiote</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Bruce Week 2020 [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671742</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bruceweek</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Eating For Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the prompt "Wings, Shadow" for Bruce Week 2020.</p><p>Eddie and Bruce have a lot in common, it's a shame they don't interact much in fanon! But I saw an opportunity to torture Bruce and I took it.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Eddie was in the cereal aisle when the fire alarm went off.</p><p>Venom was hungry so they were out on a 10pm hunt for junk food. The possibility of a dangerous high-pitched noise hadn't even occurred to either of them, so Eddie was completely unprepared when the shrill alarm echoed through the store.</p><p>'Shit!' Eddie clamped his hands over his ears, teeth gritted. He could feel his skin rippling like the surface of a pond as his alien friend screamed inside his head, and stumbled blindly in search of an exit.</p><p>A very angry black blob oozed out of Eddie's ear, plopped onto the floor and skittered under a shelving unit.</p><p>In the next aisle along, Bruce Banner straightened up with a basket of vegetables and heaved a sigh. So much for a peaceful late-night shopping trip.</p><p>A few moments later, the alarm stopped. A voice over the tannoy announced that it had been a false alarm.</p><p>Eddie straightened up, wincing. 'You okay in there? Venom? Hello?'</p><p>Bruce walked off to pay for his shopping. He didn't notice the dark shape that slithered out from under a mango and leapt up his sleeve.</p><p> </p><p>Bruce got back to the tower at 11pm.</p><p>He walked quietly into the kitchen, set the bags down on the counter and started putting things away. It was his turn to make dinner tomorrow and he had a few interesting dishes planned. You don't travel halfway around the world without picking up a few recipes.</p><p>
  <strong>Hungry...</strong>
</p><p>Bruce paused and looked up. Hulk wasn't usually vocal at times like this. Nevertheless, he had a point: they hadn't eaten for a few hours. He set about making a cheese sandwich. 'Getting restless in there?' Since joining the Avengers, he and Hulk had enjoyed a much more amicable relationship. Whilst it had made Hulk more vocal in his head, it also meant that Bruce had more say over when Hulk was allowed out. It suited him just fine.</p><p>
  <em>HULK HATE CHEESE</em>
</p><p>'Yeah, well I hate eating fire hydrants, so we'll have to agree to disagree.' He leaned against the counter and gazed out of the window absently as he ate. It was late, but tonight he felt... a little restless. Like he could go outside and walk for hours and not get tired.</p><p>
  <em>HULK WANT TO WATCH CARTOONS</em>
</p><p>He groaned. 'Tomorrow, okay? We can watch something whilst I cook.'</p><p>
  <em>HULK WANT SCOOBY-DOO AGAIN</em>
</p><p>Really, Bruce was just grateful that Hulk was more of a petulant four-year-old than a tantrum-prone two-year-old these days. 'Deal.'</p><p>He finished his sandwich, then found himself making another one. Another side effect of Hulk having more of a hand on the wheel; he was hungrier than most people. "Eating for two", as Tony often liked to joke, but it was true.</p><p>But after his second cheese sandwich, he still felt as hungry as if he hadn't eaten all day.</p><p>
  <strong>Hungry...</strong>
</p><p>So Bruce busted out his secret weapon: a carton of eggs. Omelettes usually quietened his Hulk cravings.</p><p>Then sometime later he looked up and realised that he'd just made and <em>eaten</em> an entire carton's worth of omelettes. And he started to wonder if something was wrong.</p><p>
  <strong>Not enough... need more...</strong>
</p><p>Bruce slumped against the counter, feeling slightly queasy from eating so fast. 'Give me a minute. What do you need?'</p><p>
  <strong>Tater tots. Lots of tater tots.</strong>
</p><p>'We don't have any!' He sighed, rubbing his face. He was sweating, he realised, and he felt unusually warm. 'I think we've had enough for tonight.' Despite feeling full, his hunger pangs were so intense they were almost painful. 'I'm going to bed. Wake me in a couple hours if you're still hungry.' He padded towards the door.</p><p>Little did Bruce know that he wasn't the one in control tonight. If anyone else had been in the room at that moment, they would have seen Bruce's dark eyes turn completely white. Black veins crept across his face, and ice-sharp teeth protruded from his jaws.</p><p>Bruce would later have no memory of ransacking the kitchen. He pulled frozen fries out of the freezer and crunched them down, scooped out handfuls of olive oil spread and ate it like ice cream, and ate every chicken wing in the fridge, bone and all.</p><p>When the symbiote inside him was finally satisfied, it relinquished control of his body. Bruce fell bonelessly to the floor, out cold surrounded by empty bottles and crumbs of food.</p><p> </p><p>Bruce awoke slowly to Hulk shouting inside his head.</p><p>
  <em>SOMEONE ELSE HERE WITH US</em>
</p><p>
  <em>BANNER WAKE UP</em>
</p><p>
  <em>BANNER WAKE UP NOW</em>
</p><p>
  <em>SMASH OTHER GUY</em>
</p><p>
  <em>WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE WAKE WAKE</em>
</p><p>Bruce curled up and clutched his head. He felt like he'd woken up with a hangover; the cold floor seemed to spin beneath him. 'What do you mean?' he said weakly. 'Who's here?' He sat up slowly and looked around the room, but he was alone. 'What happened in here?' It looked like Clint had gone on one of his drunk kitchen binges.</p><p>He grabbed the counter and pulled himself up, noticing that his hands were sticky with ketchup and cake crumbs. 'Did - Hulk, did you do this?'</p><p>
  <em>SOMEONE ELSE SOMEONE ELSE SOMEONE ELSE</em>
</p><p>Hulk was scared. And nothing should scare Hulk.</p><p>Bruce took off at a run, skidding on a puddle of strawberry milkshake. The corridor outside seemed to shrink away from him as he lurched down it, nearly falling over at every step.</p><p>Then there was a second voice speaking inside his head, one that was husky and gravelly and utterly alien:</p><p>
  <strong>Where are we going?</strong>
</p><p>Bruce nearly knocked Tony flat as he sprinted down the corridor. 'Bruce? Hey!'</p><p>He made it to the containment room, hit the button and the glass doors slid shut behind him. Then he lay down on the mat in the middle of the room and tried to control his breathing.</p><p>The containment room was similar to the one on the Helicarrier, except bigger and a little more humane. Bruce had tried to make it homely: galaxies were projected onto the domed ceiling, and there were some old pots and pans for Hulk to play with until he calmed down. Made of quadruple-reinforced glass, they called it the Bowl.</p><p>
  <strong>What are you doing?</strong>
</p><p>Bruce stared up at the ceiling and tried to empty his mind.</p><p>
  <strong>You cannot get rid of me, Bruce. I am inside your head.</strong>
</p><p>'Well, my head's already over-occupied, thanks.' He was dimly aware of Tony watching him through the glass. In. Out. Calm. 'And I'm not going anywhere.'</p><p>
  <strong>You're smart. I like you.</strong>
</p><p>'Bruce?' Tony knocked on the glass, his voice echoing into the Bowl through the tannoy system. 'What's going on?'</p><p>'I don't know.' He licked his dry lips and tasted something onion-y. 'It's like there's something... someone else in my head. Not the other guy.'</p><p>'Is that possible?' Tony considered this. 'Maybe you have more alter-egos waiting in there. If Hulk's your rage monster, maybe this is... hey, maybe it's your lust monster.'</p><p>'I think gluttony monster would be more appropriate.' He sighed. 'I'm sorry about the kitchen.'</p><p>'Why, what happened?'</p><p>
  <strong>I don't like him.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>DON'T LIKE YOU</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Who's this other guy? Creepy voices in people's heads are <em>my</em> thing.</strong>
</p><p>'Sit tight, Bruce. I'll try and run some scans from here. We'll get to the bottom of this. Want me to get a medic in there?'</p><p>'Not a good idea right now.' Bruce lay down and stared up at the stars. 'Okay, who are you and what do you want?'</p><p><strong>I am Venom. I want my Eddie back. </strong>The voice seemed to reverberate through his entire body, like the shadow of a cloud passing over his soul. <strong>You are Bruce Banner, a scientist. Sometimes you are Hulk. Ah, now it makes sense.</strong><br/><br/>'Some wild readings happening over here. I can't make sense of them. You're right, something's definitely in there and merging with your DNA. Must be a party in your cells right now.'</p><p>'It's talking to me. Says its name is Venom and it's looking for something called an eddy.'</p><p>
  <strong>You must find my Eddie before it is too late. You are not a good host. We will not survive like this for long.</strong>
</p><p>Tony ran a few more inconclusive scans. 'Okay, this has officially got me clueless. JARVIS, tell the others what's happened. I'm going to make some calls, see if I can find out what this thing is.' He hurried off. And Bruce was left alone with the voices in his head.</p><p>
  <strong>Hungry...</strong>
</p><p>'How can you <em>still</em> be hungry?' Bruce snapped. He sat up, rubbing his eyes. His shirt was drenched with sweat. 'What did I do to deserve this?'</p><p>
  <strong>Tasty...</strong>
</p><p>There was a stabbing pain in his ribs. Bruce gasped with the intensity of it.</p><p>It was a good thing the Bowl had a bathroom. Bruce staggered into the tiny cubicle and slammed the door behind him, groaning.</p><p>
  <strong>You must take me back to Eddie. Even now I am digesting your organs.</strong>
</p><p>Bruce threw up into the toilet, and it was bright red.</p><p>
  <strong>You were not my choice of host but there was no one else. If it's any consolation, you are delicious.</strong>
</p><p>Bruce collapsed, his vision wobbling. 'Yeah, that makes me feel much better,' he whispered, and passed out.</p><p>He awoke with his cheek pressed against the toilet seat.</p><p>
  <strong>Weird. I ate your liver but it's still here.</strong>
</p><p>'I'm harder to kill than you think,' he gasped.</p><p>
  <strong>Good. I don't want to kill you. Now I have a replenishing food source.</strong>
</p><p>Bruce lay still, fighting a rising wave of panic. 'Is there... anything else you'd rather eat?'<br/><br/><strong>Tater tots.</strong></p><p>Bruce sighed. 'JARVIS? Can you send someone on a delivery run?'</p><p> </p><p>A short while later, Steve knocked on the glass of the Bowl. 'Hey Bruce. How are you feeling?'</p><p>Bruce stared back at him, fringe damp with sweat, shivering under several thick blankets. 'I've been better,' he said with a thin smile. 'Did you bring - '</p><p>
  <strong>TATER TOTS, YESSSS - </strong>
</p><p>Steve slid a tray of food into the hatch. Bruce took it out, stomach rumbling despite his nausea.</p><p>
  <strong>Hungry...</strong>
</p><p>A slimy black tendril shot out from Bruce's shoulder, grew eyes and teeth and swallowed it whole, tray and all.</p><p>Steve blinked several times. 'I'll go uh, get some more.'</p><p> </p><p>The next few hours passed relatively uneventfully. Venom ate Bruce's liver again, despite promises to the contrary. Then he implied he was better at smashing, which of course resulted in a Hulk-out. It culminated in Hulk stomping around the room whilst a gooey black arm repeatedly hit him over the head with a frying pan.</p><p>Tony finally returned to find Bruce slumped in a miserable heap on the floor, eyes glued to the screen projected onto the ceiling above him. 'Brucie, I have some news - are you watching <em>Mean Girls?'</em></p><p>Bruce sighed. 'Venom promised to be quiet if I put it on. But now Hulk is throwing a tantrum.'</p><p>'Well, you'll be pleased to hear that yours truly has figured this out. With a little help from JARVIS.'</p><p><em>'Thank you, Sir,'</em> said JARVIS. <em>'From what I can gather,  Doctor Banner has been infected with an intelligent alien parasite -'</em></p><p>
  <strong>PARASITE?</strong>
</p><p>Bruce yelped and clutched his head.</p><p>'Bruce?'</p><p>'He doesn't like that word,' he gasped.</p><p>
  <em>'These beings were first discovered by the Life Foundation, who dubbed them "symbiotes". I was unable to find much information, as most of their databases were wiped clean.'</em>
</p><p>Bruce struggled to keep up with the pace of JARVIS' explanation. 'Did you find out what an eddy is?'</p><p><em>'I believe I have. Edward "Eddie" Brock is an ex-journalist who infiltrated the project. I found a few viral videos online. It seems he can bond with this symbiote and the two share a friendly relationship.'</em> JARVIS projected an image on the wall of a scruffy-looking man in a grey hoodie.</p><p>Bruce's head erupted. <strong>Eddie Eddie THAT'S EDDIE MY EDDIE TAKE ME TO HIM!</strong></p><p>
  <em>SHUT UP PUDDING HEAD</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Eddie is much cooler than you.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>BANNER COOLER THAN YOUR STINKY EDDIE</em>
</p><p>'Can both of you please just <em>shut up</em> for a second?' Bruce moaned. 'JARVIS, can you find him? Can you bring him here?'</p><p>
  <em>'That may be difficult. Brock appears to be keeping a low profile, but I am confident I can locate him - with Mister Stark's help.'</em>
</p><p>'Sounds good,' said Tony. 'I'm gonna suit up and go find him. Hold on, Bruce! I'll be right back!'</p><p> </p><p>Tony was gone for four hours.</p><p>The other Avengers came by to check on him, but mostly Bruce was on his own, watching endless chick-flicks and kids' cartoons to keep his monster "children" entertained. They both seemed to like Barbie movies, so that was what he watched: <em>Barbie of Swan Lake </em>and <em>Barbie of the Diamond Castle</em> and <em>Barbie in the Pink Shoes</em>. For a while it was almost peaceful, but then nature called.</p><p>
  <strong>Why did you stop? It was getting to the good part!</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>BARBIE GOING TO SMASH EVIL SNOW QUEEN! </em>
</p><p>'You can wait for just five minutes,' he grumbled, limping into the bathroom.</p><p>
  <strong>Eddie never stops a movie when it gets to the good part.</strong>
</p><p>'Eddie isn't here.' Feeling a little self-conscious, Bruce unzipped himself and took a piss, watched by a silent audience.</p><p>As he turned away to wash his hands, Venom muttered, <strong>Eddie's is bigger.</strong></p><p>'Shut up.'</p><p>
  <strong>Eddie never tells me to shut up.</strong>
</p><p>'Shut up.'</p><p>
  <strong>You're mean.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>PUDDING HEAD MEANER</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>You're a big, green meanie.</strong>
</p><p>'Please stop fighting,' said Bruce weakly, 'it's nearly midnight. Don't either of you have a bedtime?'<br/><br/><strong>I want Eddie back. He doesn't call me names like you.</strong></p><p>
  <em>PUNY BANNER SMARTER</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>Eddie takes me to Taco Bell at 2am.</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>BANNER LET ME SMASH STUFF</em>
</p><p>Bruce frowned.</p><p>
  <em>SOMETIMES</em>
</p><p>Bruce was tempted to Hulk out just so he didn't have to listen to this for a while, then JARVIS spoke up.</p><p><em>'Doctor Banner, there is someone causing a disturbance at the reception area. Should I send him up?' </em>He projected a live camera feed of a man standing outside the tower. He was waving frantically at the cameras whilst the security guards tried to catch him.</p><p>
  <strong>Eddieeeeeeeeee</strong>
</p><p>Bruce flinched. 'Yes, please. Oh my god, send him up.'</p><p>For all that Venom talked about him,  Eddie Brock wasn't much to look at. He projected a vague aura of <em>cheerful disaster</em> as he jogged down Stark Tower's manicured corridors: scruffy and unkempt, but it seemed his heart was in the right place. A few minutes later he was standing outside the Bowl, as relieved as a parent picking up their kid from lost property. 'Vee, you in there?'<br/><br/>With some effort, Bruce stood up. 'You're Eddie?'</p><p>The man nodded. He looked as if he hadn't slept in twenty-four hours. 'Is he with you? I got a garbled phone call from a guy called Toby Lark...'</p><p>Venom leapt out of Bruce's chest and splatted against the glass wall, bubbling happily.</p><p><em>'Unlocking Bowl door,'</em> JARVIS warned, and then Venom skittered out.</p><p>'Aww come here, ya little murder squidge! I've been so worried about you...' Venom jumped into Eddie's outstretched hands, absorbed into them and disappeared. Eddie beamed. 'Thanks for looking after him for me. I know he can be a handful.'</p><p>'Don't mention it,' Bruce muttered.</p><p>'Did you guys have fun?'</p><p>An oozing, black tendril protruded from Eddie's shoulder, wearing Venom's face. <strong>'We need to watch the Barbie movie collection. They are very good and you will like them.' </strong>Eddie just laughed.</p><p>Bruce was suddenly aware that he was sweaty and gross and probably smelled like bad food. 'It was the only thing that would keep him quiet,' he muttered, blushing.</p><p>
  <em>HULK VISIT PUDDING HEAD SOMETIME?</em>
</p><p>Bruce didn't bother responding to that.</p><p>Eddie patted Venom's head. 'What do we say, Venom?'</p><p>Venom beared his teeth. <strong>'Thank you for having me. I hope we do not meet again.'</strong></p><p>'That's as close as he gets to being polite. I hope he wasn't too much trouble. Your boss said you guys are used to weird things though so I guess you see stuff like this all the time, right?' He patted Venom once more, then the symbiote receded inside him. 'Thank you. Seriously. He's very important to me. See you round!</p><p>Bruce watched him go, unable to quite believe it was over. He could take a shower, go to bed, everything was back to normal again - </p><p>
  <em>HULK WATCH CARTOONS NOW?</em>
</p><p>Bruce laughed as he headed back towards his bedroom. 'You know what? Today, we can watch all the cartoons you want. My treat.'</p><p>He'd thought he'd had it bad looking after <em>one</em> voice in his head. Today, he was relieved to only be eating for two.</p>
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